Giantsportal.com | San Francisco Giants News, giants Scores, Game Recaps & Commentary - <div>GLENDALE, Ariz. ? The Giants have won three Super Bowl titles, the last of which came February in University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals. </div>The Giants have a storied past. The Cardinals never have won a Super Bowl, not even reached one. In fact, they haven?t even played in an NFC title game, or before that NFL title game, in six decades. Their last championship banner goes back 61 seasons and two cities to the Chicago Cardinals? 28-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in old Comiskey Park on Dec. 28, 1947. The Cards also have a storied past. Almost all the stories, however, are of the horror variety. Now things finally may be ready to change. The transplanted Chicago- St . Louis Cardinals rest at 7-3 and actually can clinch a divisional title today if they can defeat the reigning champion Giants, returning to the scene of their great upset. It would put coach Ken Whisenhunt?s team into the postseason for the first time since 1998 and just the fifth time since 1970. "We are still a work in progress," said Whisenhunt, in his second year after going 8-8 last season. "I don?t by any means think that we are there, but I really believe that we got our team, our players, believing that they can win. "I think that was evident by our last two games. In the past maybe the Cardinals wouldn?t have won those games, and this time we did win them. I certaiNLy believe that we are making progress that way." Whisenhunt is referring to a 29-24 Monday night win capped by a goal-line stand against San Francisco and a 26-20 victory last week against Seattle. But today is a huge step up in competition from those two contests. The Giants (9-1) have won five straight in their quest to repeat as Super Bowl champs. "I think definitely it would help to have a win against the Giants," said Whisenhunt, "because whenever you have the credentials the Giants have, if we found a way somehow to get a win, it would certaiNLy give us some credibility. I think our fans are for the most part excited about our team. I think there have been a number of years of disappointment, and I believe that we need to get a few more wins and hopefully solidify [the excitement]." What has fueled the excitement in the desert is the passing game triggered by onetime Giants quarterback Kurt Warner. The Cardinals rank second to New Orleans in NFL passing yardage averaging 305.8 yards per game. Warner is tops among NFL passers with a 105.5 rating and Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin rank 1-2 among NFC receivers with 67 and 62 catches, respectively. The recently benched Edgerrin James, who unsuccessfully petitioned for his release, is the team?s leading rusher with a modest 385 yards. Yet the Giants? defensive philosophy remains the same: stop the run first, and make the other team one-dimensional ? even if it?s a dimension like the Arizona passing game. "The running back [rookie Tim] Hightower has emerged," said defensive end Justin Tuck, "and I think people have overlooked the fact that they can still run the football. Maybe this team is predicated on the pass first and then the run. But it still starts with, as far as our defense, stopping the run and putting them in some third-down situations or second-and-longs that we can dial up some blitzes and get pressure on the quarterback." Hightower, a fifth-round draft pick from Richmond, has gained 299 yards and scored seven touchdowns. However, the Giants will have three runners with more yardage heading into the game, led by the nicked-up Brandon Jacobs. Running the ball successfully and limiting the time Warner and his receivers spend on the field might be the best defense against the Cardinals? aerial game. "We have to try to keep the ball in our hands and eliminate them from getting a whole lot of possessions," said quarterback Eli Manning, who should find out in warm-ups whether he will have wide receiver Plaxico Burress (hamstring) available today. "Their offense is powerful, they can move the ball. Their defense is playing great also. "They have a good pass rush and they try to put a bunch of guys in the box and stop the run. So we are going to have the throw the ball well to try to run the ball when we can. But just try to convert first downs, keep the ball in our hands and score when we get in the red zone."

GLENDALE, Ariz. ? The Giants have won three Super Bowl titles, the last of which came February in University of Phoenix Stadium, home of the Arizona Cardinals.

The Giants have a storied past.

The Cardinals never have won a Super Bowl, not even reached one. In fact, they haven?t even played in an NFC title game, or before that NFL title game, in six decades. Their last championship banner goes back 61 seasons and two cities to the Chicago Cardinals? 28-21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles in old Comiskey Park on Dec. 28, 1947.

The Cards also have a storied past. Almost all the stories, however, are of the horror variety.

Now things finally may be ready to change. The transplanted Chicago- St . Louis Cardinals rest at 7-3 and actually can clinch a divisional title today if they can defeat the reigning champion Giants, returning to the scene of their great upset. It would put coach Ken Whisenhunt?s team into the postseason for the first time since 1998 and just the fifth time since 1970.

"We are still a work in progress," said Whisenhunt, in his second year after going 8-8 last season. "I don?t by any means think that we are there, but I really believe that we got our team, our players, believing that they can win.

"I think that was evident by our last two games. In the past maybe the Cardinals wouldn?t have won those games, and this time we did win them. I certaiNLy believe that we are making progress that way."

Whisenhunt is referring to a 29-24 Monday night win capped by a goal-line stand against San Francisco and a 26-20 victory last week against Seattle. But today is a huge step up in competition from those two contests. The Giants (9-1) have won five straight in their quest to repeat as Super Bowl champs.

"I think definitely it would help to have a win against the Giants," said Whisenhunt, "because whenever you have the credentials the Giants have, if we found a way somehow to get a win, it would certaiNLy give us some credibility. I think our fans are for the most part excited about our team. I think there have been a number of years of disappointment, and I believe that we need to get a few more wins and hopefully solidify [the excitement]."

What has fueled the excitement in the desert is the passing game triggered by onetime Giants quarterback Kurt Warner. The Cardinals rank second to New Orleans in NFL passing yardage averaging 305.8 yards per game. Warner is tops among NFL passers with a 105.5 rating and Larry Fitzgerald and Anquan Boldin rank 1-2 among NFC receivers with 67 and 62 catches, respectively.

The recently benched Edgerrin James, who unsuccessfully petitioned for his release, is the team?s leading rusher with a modest 385 yards. Yet the Giants? defensive philosophy remains the same: stop the run first, and make the other team one-dimensional ? even if it?s a dimension like the Arizona passing game.

"The running back [rookie Tim] Hightower has emerged," said defensive end Justin Tuck, "and I think people have overlooked the fact that they can still run the football. Maybe this team is predicated on the pass first and then the run. But it still starts with, as far as our defense, stopping the run and putting them in some third-down situations or second-and-longs that we can dial up some blitzes and get pressure on the quarterback."

Hightower, a fifth-round draft pick from Richmond, has gained 299 yards and scored seven touchdowns. However, the Giants will have three runners with more yardage heading into the game, led by the nicked-up Brandon Jacobs. Running the ball successfully and limiting the time Warner and his receivers spend on the field might be the best defense against the Cardinals? aerial game.

"We have to try to keep the ball in our hands and eliminate them from getting a whole lot of possessions," said quarterback Eli Manning, who should find out in warm-ups whether he will have wide receiver Plaxico Burress (hamstring) available today. "Their offense is powerful, they can move the ball. Their defense is playing great also.

"They have a good pass rush and they try to put a bunch of guys in the box and stop the run. So we are going to have the throw the ball well to try to run the ball when we can. But just try to convert first downs, keep the ball in our hands and score when we get in the red zone."